Illness Is For Following Through

FYI when someone is undergoing treatment or battling an illness, take the time to be the person who can follow through. What do I mean? A time of illness is not the time to ask them for favors. Whether the favor be a business, personal or a social “ask” just stay away from soliciting.

I had so many people ask me for favors, whether connecting them to people, help with their careers or finding their soul mate. Many times I would genuinely offer to help. But others appeared from a dark corner of my inbox asking for favors or information. The messages always started “how are you” and ended with “can you”.

This was a time I wanted to take off my “relied upon” hat. I thought people would know better but they didn’t. They wanted to normalize me or treat me like nothing was going on. Part of that sentiment was liberating. Another part of me found the outreach sad and clueless. I was always torn. As a rule of thumb, if you are thinking of reaching out to dip into a patients favor fund just DON’T. There is always someone else you can ask and at the end of that day you don’t want to be remembered as that person. That person that always asked for favors in sickness and in health. Illness becomes a time to change roles in someone’s life. You can change a patients life dramatically if your follow through and follow up. This is a time to step up and not let your desire for an “ask” make you an “ass”.